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(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

O. G. BURTON; ELEVATED RAILWAY.

No. 518,564. Patgnted Apr. 17, 1894.

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(N0 Model.) I H CH0. BURTON. ELEVATED RAILWAY,

No. 518,564. v Patnted Apr. 17, 1894.

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(No Mode-L1 (3.0.BURTON, ELEVATED RAILWAY.

Patented Apr; 17. 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES CLBURTON, OF UTICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF A PARTOF I-IISRIGHT TO GEORGE M. LUD- LOVV, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, LOUIS E. HOLDEN, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN, AND CURTIS G. HUSSEY, OF ALLEGHENY, AND JOHN C, DES GRANGES,

OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

E L EVAT E o RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 518,564, dated April 17,1894. Application filed September 16, 1892- Renewed December ZB 1893. Serial No. 494,690. (No model.)

clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification I This nvention relates to improvements in p the superstructure of railways, and embraces y improvements 1n elevated railway structures vated or other railways.

adapted for both overhead and suspended Hi5 cars; to means for supplyingelectric current to the cars, and to switching devices for ele- The invention consists in the matters here:

inafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention:--Figure 1. is a View in side elevationof an elevated structure embodying one part of my invention. Fig. 2 is an en larged sectional View thereof, takenon line 22 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on 1 lines a-s and 4-4 respectively, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevationof another form of v elevated structure, adapted forcarrying two sets of track rails. 6 is a sectional view of the same,taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

' Referring first to the form of structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4, A A indicate supporting rails for a car orvehicle and A A guide 01' bearing rails for the same; said guideor oearlng rails being located outside of and above the supporting rails and being adapted for engagement with the guide Wheels of a car or vehicle of the character shown in a separate application for patent, Serial No. 4a5,694t, filed simultaneously herewith.

B B, B B, are the horizontal members or stringers of the track structure, of which the members B Bare located beneath and support the rails A A and the members B B are located above and outside of the members B B andserve to support the bearing rails A A.

Said longitudinalmembers B B are shown as being compound in structure consisting of ends to posts or uprightsD D, located at opposite sides of the structure outside of the stringers B B, while the rest are attached at their ends to short posts E E, which form struts or upright members of a truss and are supported from the posts D Dby means of tension members or tie rods F F, attached to the structure atthe upper ends of the posts D D and engaging the lower ends of the struts E E. Said posts D Dare shown as being each formed by two pairs 01 d, dd, of angle bars,

of which the outermost pair at d extend from the ground upwardly to the upper stringer B andthe innermostpair d d extend from the ground to thecross-pieces G G, to which they are bolted. The said cross'pieces O are shown as consisting of two angle-bars c c, Fig. 4, arranged side by side with their vertical flangesadjacent to each other and their horizontal flanges extending in opposite directions, the ends of said horizontal flanges being extended over the upperends of the angle bars d d of the posts and bent down- Wardly at right angles to admit of their insertion between the flanges of the said angle bars (1' d and the outer angle bar cl to both of which bars they are secured by bolts inserted through the parts in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 2. The said angle bars (1 (1' rest against the outer faces of the vertical flanges of said angle-bars c c and are bolted or riveted to the same. As an additional means of connecting said angle-bars c c with the angle bars constituting the posts D, plates G G are inserted between the end portions of said angle bars and extend outwardly past the ends of the same to the outer margins of the external angle-bars d d of said posts; said plates G being bolted or riveted to the said angle-bars c c and d d and being also additionally secured to the angle bars cl d by means of the samerivets which hold'the said angle-bars d d in contact. with the flanges of the angle-bars c c.

The stringer B is shown as having the form of angle-bar arranged with its vertical flange 1n contact with the inner surface ofthe outer angle-bars d d ofthe posts and its horizon:

of the cross-pieces C in the same manner as the bars 02 d; plates G, similar to the plates G, being employed to afford. additional strength in the joints between said parts. Said bars 6 are bolted or riveted at their upper ends to the depending flanges of the stringer B in the manner clearly shown in the drawings, Fig. 1. v

The tie rod F may be secured tothe posts D and struts E in any convenient manner, but as herein shown said tie-rods engage notches d d formed in the outwardly extending flanges of the'angle bars cl (1 and also engage similar notches e e,for1ned in the lower ends of the outwardly extending, flanges .of

the bars 6 e.

The guide or bearing rails A A are shown asmade of L-shape in cross-section andas secured with their vertical flanges against the verticalfianges of the stringers B B; this construction affording proper support for the said guide rail while at the same time enabling it to be easily removed for renewal or repair. A turn-buckle F, applied to the disconnected ends of the tie rod E enables. the tension of the same to be changed.

It will be observed that the stringers B B, in connection with the struts E E and tie-rod F constitute a truss of simple form adapted to give strength and rigidity to that part of the supporting structure between adjacent supporting postsD D, while at the same time the location and arrangement of the stringers B B affords proper support for the supporting'rails A A andguide rails A A when arranged in the relation described. i

H H indicate longitudinal strips which extend along the inner faces of theangle-bars d d and e e and are secured to the same preferably by means of brackets h h.- Said strips H are made in whole or in part of insulating material, preferably wood, and contain on their inner faces metal strips H H, constituting conductors for supplying electric currentto vehicles through the medium of suitable traveling contact devices attached to the vehicle and acting onthe strips. The

conductors thus located and supportedform a simple and economical means of supplying current to the Vehicle.

terial, preferablyvof wood, which runs longi tudinally'ofthe track between the rails A A and is supported from the cross-pieces C by means of metal brackets 71. Said strip I is provided in its side margins with metallic.

strips 1 1, forming electric conductors by means of which electrical connection may be made with the car through the medium of suitable traveling. contact devices, for the purpose of establishing telegraphic or tele phonic connection with said'car. I

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a construction in an elevated track supportingstructure which contains the same general features of construction hereinbefore described, but

is adapted for sustaining two sets of cars, one

vrestingonthe'supporting'rails above the main part of the structure and another resting on track rails suspended below those first men supported adjacent'to but clear of the ground,

asclearly indicated in dotted lin'esin Fig. 6. The track supporting structure in this in stance embraces longitudinal stringers J J corresponding with the stringers B B hereinbefore described main transverse girders K which rest on supporting posts L L, intermediate transverse pieces L L, corresponding with the crosspieces O of Figs. 1 to 4, and vertical posts L L arranged at points intermediateto the posts K. In thisinstance the posts orstruts L are extended downwardly past or beyond the cross-pieces L by which the stringers J are supported and said posts are attached at their lower endsto longitudinal stringers J arranged vertically beneath and parallel with the stringers J. Inclined tie.- rods j j extend from the bottom of each post upwardly to the upper ends of adjacent posts, thereby giving stiffness to the structure and forming in effect a truss. In cases where the distance between the supporting posts L L is great, posts K K extend upwardly from the girders K K and from the upper ends of the same suspension rods' or cables k 70 extend downwardly to the struts L L of the structure between the said supporting posts L. These suspension rods or cables may be arranged in any desired or preferred manner; the same beingcherein shown as engaged one with the middle post of the span and'the other with two posts which are intermediate be- Ito For the purpose of giving enable the wheels to diate truss which is common to both tracks being unprovided with such cables.

As a means for supporting the lowermost rails A A suspension rods or bars M M are attached to the crosspieces L L a short distance within the vertical struts L L and said bars M M are secured to short transverse bars M which are attached at their outer ends to the stringers J J and the struts L L and extend inwardly past the said bars M M in the manner of brackets to afford support on their inwardly projecting ends for said track-rails A A which are located at a sufficient distance inside of the suspension bars M M to properly run upon said track rails.

From the construction described it will be obvious that the main structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is generally similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the main difference being that the vertical struts or posts of the truss portion of the structure are extended downwardly so as to make a deeper truss and one having greater strength. The parts constituting the truss are in this instance connected with each other in substantially the same manner as hereinbefore described in detail in connection with Figs-1 to 4.

The elevated structure illustrated in Figs. 5 and'6 is adapted for use in cases where the supporting posts L L are located at a distance apart greater than the width of the elevated structure proper and a connection is afforded between the upper ends of the posts and the elevated structure mainly by means of the transverse girders K K, which extend to a considerable distance past or outside of the truss structure and rest at their ends on the tops of the posts. As a means, however, of additionally supporting the structure from the posts L, inclined struts or braces N Nare secured to theinner faces of the posts L L and extend upwardly and inwardly to the upper ends of the posts K K to which they are socured in the manner shown or otherwise.

Other braces N N, shown as made of curved form, extend from the outer ends of the girders K K upwardly to said struts N N. The girders K K desirably consist of two U- shaped beams placed side by side with a space between them, as clearly seen in Fig. 5, and the struts N N pass between said beams in the manner illustrated.

, the same, of an elevated structure comprising longitudinal stringers sustaining the supporting rails and guide rails, cross-pieces extending beneath and outside of the stringers which sustain the supporting rails, and upright parts or posts attached to said crosspieces and tothe'stringers supporting the guide rails, substantially as described.

2. The combination with supporting-rails and guide-rails located above and outside of stringers and uprights attached to said intermediate pieces and to the upper stringers, said uprights and upper stringers forming respectively the vertical struts and upper longitudinal members of trusses between the supporting posts, substantially as described.

3. The combination with supporting rails and guide rails located above and outside of the same, of a track supporting structure comprising lower and upper stringers sustaining the supporting and guide rails posts or uprights which extend upwardly to and sustain the upper stringers, cross-pieces attached to said posts and supporting the lower stringers, intermediate cross-pieces between the posts attached to said stringers, vertical struts attached to said intermediate cross-pieces and to the upper stringers and tension members or tie rods sustaining the said struts from the posts, substantially as described.

4.. An elevated track supporting structure comprising lower and upper longitudinal stringers, cross-pieces attached to the lower stringers and supporting posts consisting of inner and outer bars of which the outer bars extend upwardly to and sustain the upper stringers and are attached to the ends of the crosspieces, and the inner bars terminate at and are secured to the said ends of the crosspieces, substantially as described.

5. A track supporting structure comprising lower and upper longitudinal stringers, transverse pieces attached to the lower stringers and supporting posts each consisting of two outer and two inner bars, of which the outer bars extend upwardly to and sustain the upper stringers and the inner bars terminate at and are attached to the said ends of the crosspieces, and vertical plates G G, attached to the ends of the cross-pieces and extending between and secured to the said inner and outer bars of the posts, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. BURTON. Witnesses:

(J. CLARENCE POOLE,

GEORGE W. HIGGINS, Jr.

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